Well, I think I'm going to go with the VP180. I like big and badass. And most of the time, It's going to be for my sweet spot. In the future, I can always experiment with center channels.

So my choices are finalized

2M80s1 Vp1801 Ep8002 Qs81 Pioneer Elite Sc-61 receiver

I've learned so much in the past few days thanks to you all.

I still have one question though that has been left unanswered:

1. Audio Jewelry(this term is new to me...i don't get it?). I've done tons of biwiring in previous setups and always thought it was an advantage. With further reading, it seems Axiom believes it makes no difference, but offer the option for customer satisfaction mainly. Should I get the option or no? Die Cast woofer baskets or standard? What's the difference if any?

Thanks again to everyone. I sure hope I get this new job

I think you will be very happy with this setup. I have the VP180 and M80's and they go together perfectly. As you stated earlier the VP180 is a M80 on its side. My previous setup had the typical small center speaker and dialog was often hard to hear but with the VP180 being a full size speaker dialog sounds amazing. I never realized how much I was missing from the center before I got the VP180.

Also as far as Axioms sounding bright. I'm not an audio expert but I assume Bright means a a lot of high frequency sound. I have to admit that when I first set them up I understood what then mean by sounding bright. I could definitely hear the high frequencies a lot more with the Axioms. But the more I listen to them the better they sound and I am able to hear more details in the music than I ever did before. I think the reason they sounded bright at first is because my old speakers just weren't producing the highs like they should have been. (FYI, my old mains were a pair of 23 old Bose 601 speakers)

Everyone's definition of bright is different. To me, bright means the high end is uncomfortable on the ears, not just an extended range. I'm finding my M22 Axiom system to currently be in the bright category, but am awaiting the delivery of a Pioneer AVR to see if I can tame what I hear with MCACC. Audyssey just puts them in the bright mode and leaves them there.

Everyone's definition of bright is different. To me, bright means the high end is uncomfortable on the ears, not just an extended range. I'm finding my M22 Axiom system to currently be in the bright category, but am awaiting the delivery of a Pioneer AVR to see if I can tame what I hear with MCACC. Audyssey just puts them in the bright mode and leaves them there.

Seems you and me have the same definition for "bright". Let me know how that goes with your new receiver. I'll be trying to acquire a Sc-61 for this system.

I will have to do lots of reading about all this calibration, if and when I even get this system.

a standard equalizer is the most calibration I've ever had experience with.

After reading an interesting thread in AVS ref the pros & cons of 'Center Channel Speaker' vs 'Phantom Mode' I had to see what was up with my system. So yesterday I went into my Denon's Menu - not for the faint of heart, ha! - to see the parameters that I had since my Audyssey Calibration last year. I found that if any parameters were changed manually, the full advantage of Audyssey are not available which requires a new calibration. Some would say that's a good thing, ha!

So I decided to run a calibration again with the mic on a camera tripod in the 6 different listening area positions - easy to do but somewhat stressful. Of course the furnace came on in the next room during the first run & phone rang half way through the second run - had to start over twice. The third run was successful; however I found that my twin Velo subs were set way too high (-12 Db according to Audyssey which means that they are out of its correction range). I turned them down to where they previously were with Velo's remote & ran it again - success. Somehow the volumes had been bumped up to over 3.0 vice 2.5 where they need to be. I turned Off Denon's automatic level controls & it's all back to normal. No bright M22s with my setup, just nice, accurate sound. The BD THX demo is most impressive even at -10 Db volume that is about all that I can stand in my house.

I think that a new calibration every 6 months is probably in order, especially if you have subs or other components that are controlled by their own Remotes. Things can get out of whack with out you knowing it...

After reading an interesting thread in AVS ref the pros & cons of 'Center Channel Speaker' vs 'Phantom Mode' I had to see what was up with my system. So yesterday I went into my Denon's Menu - not for the faint of heart, ha! - to see the parameters that I had since my Audyssey Calibration last year. I found that if any parameters were changed manually, the full advantage of Audyssey are not available which requires a new calibration. Some would say that's a good thing, ha!

So I decided to run a calibration again with the mic on a camera tripod in the 6 different listening area positions - easy to do but somewhat stressful. Of course the furnace came on in the next room during the first run & phone rang half way through the second run - had to start over twice. The third run was successful; however I found that my twin Velo subs were set way too high (-12 Db according to Audyssey which means that they are out of its correction range). I turned them down to where they previously were with Velo's remote & ran it again - success. Somehow the volumes had been bumped up to over 3.0 vice 2.5 where they need to be. I turned Off Denon's automatic level controls & it's all back to normal. No bright M22s with my setup, just nice, accurate sound. The BD THX demo is most impressive even at -10 Db volume that is about all that I can stand in my house.

I think that a new calibration every 6 months is probably in order, especially if you have subs or other components that are controlled by their own Remotes. Things can get out of whack with out you knowing it...

TAM

Good call on going for another calibration. That's awesome it's sounding better. So with Audyssey, you get to do the calibration from 6 different listening positions? That's pretty incredible. I only saw my dad do it from 1 listening position through MCACC on his Pioneer Elite.

I've just been reading some more about subwoofers...lol I just can't help myself. I like something that quakes hard.

What is everyone's opinion on Submersive? I just stumbled across them. I'm reading a good handful of people have went from SVS to submersive, but no one really goes from submersive to SVS.

Everyone's definition of bright is different. To me, bright means the high end is uncomfortable on the ears, not just an extended range. I'm finding my M22 Axiom system to currently be in the bright category, but am awaiting the delivery of a Pioneer AVR to see if I can tame what I hear with MCACC. Audyssey just puts them in the bright mode and leaves them there.

Good point, they definitely didn't sound uncomfortable to my ears at all, the high frequency sounds were just more noticeable at first. The reason I think I noticed is because my previous speakers just weren't doing a good job with the highs. I am using an Elite SC-67 which I love.

Good call on going for another calibration. That's awesome it's sounding better. So with Audyssey, you get to do the calibration from 6 different listening positions? That's pretty incredible. I only saw my dad do it from 1 listening position through MCACC on his Pioneer Elite.

I've just been reading some more about subwoofers...lol I just can't help myself. I like something that quakes hard.

What is everyone's opinion on Submersive? I just stumbled across them. I'm reading a good handful of people have went from SVS to submersive, but no one really goes from submersive to SVS.

MCACC will also allow you to do a multi-point calibration. I haven't tried it yet because I always sit in the same spot but the option is there.